Hypothermia
by Valiancy
Summary: What happens when Robin becomes stranded in a cabin with Slade during a blizzard and catches hypothermia? [ SladexRobin ] [ Multi Chapter ]


**Author Note: **This was done for a challenge communityin LiveJournal, in which this scenario (stranded in a cabin, one blanket, etc.)is enforced for your choice of characters. This chapter didn't come out as well as hoped, but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

* * *

11:00 p.m.

"Where is Robin?"

As the Titans gathered amongst the fallen mechanisms and defeated minions, they looked between themselves. Everyone except Robin was present. They were ready to assume the obvious. "He went after Slade," Raven announced the thought on everyone's mind.

It was the only reasonable explanation. Slade attacks the city, distracts the Titans with some of his army and Robin sees his opening to go after the mastermind. He was never the type to let him get away-- never was and never will be. The worst part of all, was that they had no idea how long they'd been fighting and giving chase to the goons Slade let loose, how long Robin had been gone and where he was now. What they did know, is that the temperature had been steadily dropping and now that they had risen victorious over Slade's minions, adrenaline gone, they realized how freezing it was outside.

"We must find him!" Starfire declared.

As if in defiance of her statement, a cruel wave of wind threw itself up around the Titans, pushing them backwards a few steps. Snowflakes began drifting from the gray sky, slowly at first, and then they began picking up with the wind, harshly knocking trees back and forth. "It's a blizzard! We have to get inside before it gets a lot worse!" Cyborg said.

"But... what about Robin?"

"Star, I understand you're worried about Rob. We are too, but if we don't get inside, there ain't gonna be any Teen Titans to look for him," the robotic teen answered, frowning. "We'll hafta look on the main computer back at the Tower."

"D-dude, it's totally _f-freezing _out here! Can we like, h-hurry?"

- - -

an hour earlier

Great. Just great. Not only did he lose Slade, but he got himself lost in the forest... The weather didn't seem to be getting any nicer either. Infact, it was getting colder by the minute. Not something Robin wanted to be caught outside in when it hit bottom. If he had the option of going back to the city, he would have been there already, but the fog was blocking everything in the distance. He'd done so much running that he wasn't sure where he was now. He had even tried to use the compass in his communicator, but oddly enough, it seemed broken, and when he'd tried contacting his friends, the screen crackled and blurred with black-and-white.

He was stranded... with no shelter. No idea where the hell he was. No idea how long it was going to be before his friends found him. He just hoped it wouldn't be too late before they did.

"Just have to keep walking," he muttered, shivering slightly.

That's just what he did, fingers wrapped around his arms and head bowed against the wind beginning to pick up. It wasn't bad, but it was easy to tell it was going to get worse. He knew he was going to be screwed when it did.

"Maybe not," he said hopefully, catching sight of a structure through the trees.

Robin broke foreward into as much of a jog as his cold legs would let him and felt his heart lift when he found that it was a cabin. It seemed to be unoccupied at the moment, but as long as it was a place to get out of the cold. Reaching out a hand, he wriggled the door-knob, just incase... and it was unlocked. "That's weird," he whispered as he stepped into the cabin.

The cabin was a little dark, but nothing a little fire couldn't fix. It was a single-room cabin-- there was a fireplace, a table, chairs and a bed. Not too shabby. It was also shelter, so he couldn't complain. Another step in, letting the door shut behind himand--

"Why, hello, Robin."

The boy spun, hands thrown up into fists, placing him into a fighter's stance. Slade was standing beside the door, arms crossed over his chest as he casually leaned against the wall. No mask. Robin had seen him without it before, but regardless, it always surprised him to see that face instead of the one colored orange and black. His eyes narrowed beneath the mask grimly. "What are you doing here?" he growled the question at the man.

Slade only chuckled, standing up straight and stepping past the Titan, who never took his eyes off him. "Even 'criminal masterminds' need places to stay in weather such as this," he replied coolly.

"You've survived worse."

"Perhaps. However, it would make it rough to return home with a blizzard settling in, don't you think?"

"You're leading me to believe you couldn't make it through a blizzard?"

"Oh, I could. I simply rather not. Why bother when there's a perfectly decent cabin to stay in for the night."

Robin just glared at him, teeth grinding against one another behind his lips. His hands fell to his sides, but his fists never unclenched. He was torn between leaving while he could and trying to take down Slade here and now. Neither of which were very good ideas, given his current position.

"So what's your reason for attacking Jump City this time, Slade? Another attempt at world domination? Money? Amusement?" Robin sneered.

"Really, Robin," Slade spoke, half-turning to peer at the boy, "if you have to ask, you're not ready to know."

In turn, the Titan gave him a severely annoyed look. Without another word to him, he pulled out the T-communicator and flipped it open. It still didn't look like it wanted to cooperate, but he was _not _just going to sit in this cabin and put up with Slade-- or let him get away when he was right there. "Come in, Titans," he called into the communicator.

Nothing but faint crackling and a fuzzy screen.

"Titans! Do you read me?"

"That's really quite pointless, I'm afraid. You of all people should know that an oncoming blizzard will block communication efforts."

"It doesn't hurt to try anyway," Robin snapped.

His words were quickly followed by a sudden burst of whistling winds and another drop in the temperature. He was quick to move away from the door, yet he still attempted to keep as far away from Slade as possible. He wasn't terribly thrilled about being stuck in a cabin, his only means of keeping warm and surviving in this weather, with Slade. Of all people. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't pick a fight, because they would either bring the cabin down or he would wind up stuck outside in square one. That would be a huge problem, considering he couldn't get through to the Titans and he had no idea where they were in the forest. What's more, there was only one bed-- which meant one blanket.

He was _not _sharing a bed or a blanket with _Slade. _

- - -

It was now 11:30 and already the Titans'search for Robin had come up fruitless...

"How can you not find him?"

"I'm sorry, Star... the blizzard's blockin' off his location..."

Even with the main computer searching their their lost teammate, nothing could seem to track him. Each of the Titans were worried, especially with the weather being as cold and harsh as it was.

"Robin's a smart dude, right? I bet he's totally somewhere safe right now!" Beast Boy said, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Of course, that was all the team had right now. They had to believe that their friend was safe until the blizzard died down...

- - -

Eleven forty-five-- it had been unnervingly silent in the cabin since Robin had attempted to contact the Titans. He'd pulled up a chair as sat across the cabin from Slade, who was reclined on the bed, watching him. He hated it. He was just sitting there _watching_ him. The boy just stared at his communicator expectantly, waiting for a familiar face to show up on the screen. He tried to lose himself in his thoughts and block out the constant feeling of Slade's eye on him... tried to ignore the steadily lowering temperature. It was now so cold that Robin had to force his teeth clenched shut to keep them from chattering and his body to sit perfectly still to keep from shivering. He even had his cape wrapped over his body, but it didn't seem terribly effective in keeping him warm.

"You realize if you sit over there much longer, you could very well become hypothermic, Robin."

A snarl. "I'm _fine."_

"Oh? You're stifling shivers. I may only have one eye, but I'm hardly blind, boy. I wouldn't suggest sitting where you are for much longer."

Robin just leered at him with the dirtiest of looks before choosing to turn back to his communicator, teeth grinding against eachother again. It only annoyed him further to know that Slade was amused by his behavior.

"You'll be dead by morning if you keep it up."

The boy didn't answer, but he heard Slade lie down. He was likely going to sleep. Robin continued to sit on the chair and remained there for several minutes. The temperature had dropped again and the longer he sat there, the more the warmth of the only blanket seemed appealing. He also found that he was now suffering fits of violent shivers. Slade was right. If he sat there much longer, he was going to catch hypothermia and die. The last thing he needed was to meet death... He thought of his friends, his family-- how they would react if it were to happen. He realized he wasn't willing to let them down like that.

Robin glanced towards Slade, eyes narrowing again... _Even if it means having to share a damn blanket with him. _

Finally, he pried himself from the chair, finding it hard to walk with the severity of his shivers. He managed make it over to the bed, however. Slade's back was turned to him and he was vaguely relieved about that. He slowly crawled underneath the blanket, nearly wincing when he felt his back touch Slade's and tried to will himself to sleep...

_The blizzard will die down tomorrow..._ That was all Robin could think as he lay there, still trying to fight back shivers.


End file.
